


Rhyme of Another Summer, In the Afternoon

by Out-of-Character217 (jacksgirl217)



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-18 17:16:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11879133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacksgirl217/pseuds/Out-of-Character217
Summary: Cloud hears music and follows his heart.





	Rhyme of Another Summer, In the Afternoon

**Author's Note:**

> For the Strifeheartweek2k17 over on Tumblr. the accompanying piano music for this piece can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvryolGa19A
> 
> Theme: Music.

Cloud picked up the distant tinkling of piano keys the moment he stepped foot in the castle. Although far away, and to anyone without his ability to hear a pin drop a mile away, it would have been indiscernible, but Cloud heard it with crystal clear clarity. Moving towards it - tracking its source through endless corridors and abandoned rooms - was no trouble either; the sound grew steadily nearer, its floating melody growing stronger, its tempo never changing as the music blossomed louder. 

There, inside an abandoned hall which had once no doubt been used for grand balls and concerts, sat an old piano, its wood dulled with age and dust, its lid littered with the frosted remains of cobwebs. Sat at the stool, playing the antiqued thing, was Leon. Back straight and shoulders squared, his usual leather gloves cast aside as his long slender fingers conjured the music. 

Cloud’s eyes widened a fraction, utterly surprised to find the older man to be the source of the beautiful melody, and an odd stirring in his belly fluttered upwards, catching somewhere in the back of his throat. 

The music stopped, and the silence was suddenly deafening in its wake. Cloud watched with curiosity as Leon softly caressed the keys. Not pressing them down, or busying himself with cleaning the years of dust, but reverently honored them. A simple touch that conveyed more than words, even at Cloud’s distance. 

He hadn’t thought he’d made a sound, but perhaps the heavy weight of Cloud’s constant stare pressed too heavily upon Leon’s back, and the gunblader turned around. Catching his mouth hanging open, Cloud quickly shut it and squared his shoulder. 

“You shouldn’t be up here alone. The castle’s still not safe.” 

Cloud thought he heard Leon scoff. 

“I can handle a bunch of Heartless.” Leon replied acidly. Maybe it was because he’d been caught unawares, or that he’d been caught in such an obviously private moment, but there was far more bite to his words than even Cloud was used to, and immediately an uncomfortable knot formed in Cloud’s chest as his cheeks heated. He hadn’t meant to get caught staring. He hadn’t come here to pick a fight either.

“I didn’t know you could play.” He said instead, stepping a little further into the room. 

A long stretch of silence followed, as if Leon was weighing up what to say, before he surprised Cloud with a soft reply:

“SeeD taught me a lot of things.”

There were layers of meaning in that answer, Cloud was sure, as he continued to stare at the back of Leon’s head. But what surprised him the most was not that a musical education had been a required part of a mercenary's curriculum, but that Leon was actually talking about SeeD. In all their limited time together, Cloud had only ever heard Leon mention it once. 

“You’re pretty good.” He offered, coming to stand behind Leon’s left shoulder. 

“It’s not that hard.” Leon shrugged, an apathy in his tone that deflected the compliment. Cloud might have rolled his eyes, but he heard the subtle bitterness that lay beneath Leon’s words. 

“Yeah well, you’re talking to someone who can’t even play the triangle.” He replied dryly, and without humour. 

Leon looked up at him sideways through his bangs, a small smile on his lips. 

“You ever tried?” He asked, gesturing towards the aged instrument. 

It was Cloud’s turn to scoff. 

“Music wasn’t really a priority in SOLDIER.” 

To Cloud’s surprise, Leon shuffled along the wide bench and made a space for him, proffering the seat with a confident gesture. 

“I really should be-” He was about to say ‘getting back’, but Leon interrupted him with a gentle dare that was as incendiary as his offers of combat, and Cloud had never been able to resist an invitation to spar.

“Ten minutes. That’s all I need.” 

“Fine.” He nodded, a gentle smile mirroring his own lips. 

Hoisting his sword from his back and propping it against the grand piano next to Leon’s, Cloud sat down.

“Here, you’ll need to take these off.” Leon instructed him, taking one of Cloud’s gloved hands into his own, and slowly pulled the garment off, finger by finger. 

The warm touch of Leon’s skin against his own as he placed his fingers against the keys sent a cold shiver down Cloud’s spine. His hairs stood on end, and his throat hitched as gently, Leon coaxed Cloud’s left hand into the right positions. 

“Now watch me.” 

The quiet murmur of Leon’s voice set Cloud’s throat achingly dry. He watched, as slowly Leon’s own left hand picked out five notes, the rhythm a simple and complete circle of music, that ended where it began and played over and over again. After a few moments of listening to it, Cloud began to imitate. His own notes came out rusty and disjointed, but the longer he continued, the smoother the notes became, until finally, he was playing alongside Leon in flawless repetition. 

“Keep playing that. Don’t stop, and don’t slow down.” Leon told him, as he replaced his left hand with his right and moved further up the piano. Delicately, he began to play the other half of the music, the notes piecing together the song as the base chords blended with the wandering melody, and Cloud realised they were playing the same song that Leon had been playing, just moments ago. 

A few times he faltered in his excitement, only for Leon to stop and urge him to continue with a small smile and nod of his head, and they began again, Cloud playing those same five notes around and around, never slowing down, never speeding up, as Leon decorated them with a story made of sound. 

At last, and in the same breath, all too soon, the song finished and the music came to a gentle stop, the last of the piano strings dying away to leave subtle vibrations hanging in the air. 

“See? Not so hard, is it?” Leon’s rich baritone cut through the silence. 

Cloud had to clear his throat to answer. “You’re a good teacher.” and he winced as even he heard the adoration in his own tone. “Umm, I mean… you probably had good teachers.” Cloud corrected himself quickly. He caught the subtle smile on Leon’s lips from the corner of his eye.

“I did.” Leon agreed, choosing instead to ignore Cloud’s slip. “We should get back.” He added, standing abruptly. 

Cloud followed suit and together they donned gloves and armour and weapons once again, and left the castle just as the sun was disappearing beyond the horizon. 

They were about to part ways when Leon turned to Cloud, his careful, steely gaze softened by the light of dusk and he glanced back up at the abandoned castle. 

“I come here most evenings,” he began slowly, as if he wasn’t sure of what he was about to say next. “If you want more lessons?”

Cloud’s eyes widened perceptibly and he followed Leon’s gaze up towards the crumbling, blackened castle, it’s windows lightless and it’s turrets dark. 

“Yeah, sure.” He answered a little breathily. 

Leon nodded and raised a hand shortly, signalling goodbye as he left Cloud standing there, watching him leave.


End file.
